Here I am again with the intention to write more, I said that back in October and then I haven't written since! I love writing and often get urges to sit down and write but then I don't, obviously a block there of some kind, being judged, not being good enough, what have I got to say? Blah blah. However, I feel inspired, so here I am.
I have been doing a lot of journalling lately and over the New Year I reflected and processed 2023 and what came up was sort of surprising and so I wanted to share that, in hopes maybe to inspire you to reflect on your 2023, it's not too late to do so, if that's what you're thinking.
I have chosen a 'word of the year' for the past few years and last years word was 'DEVOTION' I kind of parked it after I came up with it. I put it on the altar and didn't really feel like I paid much attention to it,
not consciously anyway. When I started to look back at 2023 and how the year was for me, I realised actually that my devotional practice, my spiritual path, was the underpinning of everything. It carried me through the highs and the lows and kept me humble and steady. We sang aarti almost daily, which is a set of devotional chants and mantras for our particular path. I learnt how to play it all by ear in about 4 days, which was something I thought would be almost impossible! I visited the Dutch ashram twice for Navaratri and the German ashram for Guru Purnima. We played music almost every day as well and I saw how my musicianship has transformed and how much I've grown and learnt! Not only that but the connection and awe that comes with having a daily chanting practice is second to none. I allowed myself to dive in, head first, in love with all that the word 'Devotion' had to offer me. It was the grounding, the foundation that I needed to be able to handle all that came up for me last year, good and bad because no matter what happened, I knew I had that to return to, the connection to the divine. It's the ultimate.
I also reflected that the year had held a lot of healing for me. Through the devotion comes a deeper understanding of oneself and the ability to be lead by something beyond the self. This lead me to more inner work with Tobemagnetic. Lots of journalling, processing, hypnosis and ending the year with a community challenge. This work has allowed me to become aware of myself, my wounds, to learn to regulate my nervous system and to be so much more conscious of my triggers and shadow and what I am being shown that I need to heal. I am beyond grateful for this and it's something that will be carried through into this year and many years to come.
So, I am certainly bringing my devotion forward into this year, along with my healing work. What am I leaving behind? Victim mentality, that's a big one for me and it's called the shots quite a few times in my life, instead of giving my power away and feeling a victim, I now choose to see how I can be empowered when this shows up and see that whatever is happening is happening FOR me and not TO me (I've talked about this before). Easier said than done at times, but its integral if we want to live our lives fully and if we want to be at peace. Another thing I'm leaving behind is the need to control. I don't find this toooooo apparent, (she says, rolling her eyes) as I have worked on this for a few years but I feel this is finally the end of it and the beginning of true surrender and trust, something I have been trying to embody for a long while. When I notice either of these come up, I will say hello to them, acknowledging their existence but then I will take a breath and with the exhale, release.
This all leads me to my word for this year and that is 'HOME'! It seemed to encompass all that I am calling in and my intention is 'I am coming home to myself through my body, mind, heart and soul'. I want to get really honest with myself this year, I want to peel back as many layers as I can and get in touch with my authenticity more than I ever have. I want to look at all the aspects of my life and see what I am called to and what I'm not. I want to be deeply connected to spirit and the sacredness that is held in just BE-ing, complete and utter presence and taking the time to listen to that still voice within, the one that knows all, the only home that matters. If I get that right, the home that is created externally will be a reflection of that. I have a vision of it, I know what it looks like, I can FEEL it on a cellular level and I am so looking forward to all the adventures this year will bring, to ultimately bring me closer to home. I'll hopefully be sharing them along the way, if I manage to keep up with my writing intention!
I'd love to hear your word of the year! If you have one and any reflections of your 2023
Sending so much love from my heart to yours xxx
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